Abstract
The author has had a lifetime in engineering and in spite of a thorough and rigorous training in mathematics has had little use for it. In consequence he wrote a short and highly provoking article for an internal news sheet asserting that mathematics, but not numeracy, had been largely irrelevant in a long career in engineering. To his surprise he found that this experience was commonplace amongst many of his colleagues. Enquiries further afield met the same response and it seriously raises the issue as to what the role of mathematics is in engineering. It is suggested that mathematics may have a part to play in engineering but on a much more limited scale than previously assumed. Empiricism, or observation and experimentation, is of much more value. Subsequently a survey has been carried out by email amongst engineering academics and a summary is given.
Generally the author directs his comments in the direction of mathematicians and those motivated by the dead hand of self interest to keep things as they are. If engineers are to be taught mathematics then it should be done by engineers.